Rick Martin

Marketing Coordinator, Human Resources Asst

What do you do at Camarda Wealth?

I coordinate educational events for our advisors and guests at different venues, get the newsletter out to clients, help Jeff with the blog, his Forbes articles, and social media pages. There are also Human Resources tasks that need my attention because Kim only has 24 hours in her day.

What are your credentials/past experience, for working in your position?

I oversaw a church and school campus that hosted a quite a few large events and a small computer leasing business where nearly all the advertising was digital. I’d also had interests in investments over the years so this position at this firm seemed like a match.

What is something the investing public has to deal with that you want to fix?

Commission products. Whether mutual funds or annuities, a lot of folks are in the dark with what they’ve been sold because they took some salesman for his word that their best interests were taken to heart. I help plan our educational seminars where Jeff’s presentations can shed some light on nearly everyone’s financial situations and, whether they’re approaching retirement or have been retired for some time, they can make informed investing decisions that best meet their needs and goals.

What do you like about working at Camarda Wealth?

The ongoing demand for excellence in all aspects of the firm and that I get to work with talented, ethical, and hard-working people who have more restraint than I do around the client candy bowl. I enjoy an occasional time-out walk in the Camarda parking lot so long as Jeff’s not around to bust me!

Favorite Podcasts / Books:

Tim Ferriss and James Altucher have interesting podcasts in which they interview leaders from across different industries that give practical advice in productivity as well as personal development, health, and business. Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink and Linchpin by Seth Godin influenced my work ethic to a degree. I used to read fiction by Cormac McCarthy (The Road, Blood Meridian, No Country for Old Men) and John Grisham (The Firm, A Time to Kill, Pelican Brief) but history and biographies take up a lot of my leisure reading these days. I’m also a ‘news junkie’, but all reading is put aside when the kids want to watch a documentary. John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath with Henry Fonda and Berick Traven’s Treasure of the Sierra Madre with Humphrey Bogart make for good movie nights with family and dogs. Current bedtime reading is The Cure by John Lynch or The Naked Gospel by Andrew Farley and Paul’s Epistles over morning coffee.

What is your background?

I grew up in the Philippines, went to college in the Chicago area where I met my wife Brandie who is from the Jacksonville ares. We moved overseas for a few years before settling back in Orange Park where I met Jeff and Kim Camarda in 2016, and have since worked at the firm.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?

Taking Brandie, son TJ, daughter Ava, and our rescues, Boydog and Girldog in their doggie stroller, for sunset walks in our neighborhood -sometimes the walks turn into squirrel chases. Weekend decompressing usually means going to the beach, flea markets, supervising my kids’ attempts at yard work then doing it myself, grinding and brewing Sumatra coffee beans, making the rounds at the Trader Joe’s sample tables, and moseying through IKEA after filling up in their cafeteria. When Brandie drives we usually end up at Hobby Lobby so she can buy more doodads for the house. I like to watch basketball while the kids keep stats for nickels and dimes. Skip and Shannon keep me entertained when anything NBA is up for for discussion on Undisputed. I like to think I stay fit by going to church and playing basketball afterwards. My morning walk and commute music is by MercyMe and Casting Crowns.